Litter in America drops by nearly two-thirds in past four decades, study says

View full sizeJoel Davis/The OregonianA Clark County work crew cleans up roadside litter in the driving rain along Highway 14 near Washougal.
The amount of litter in America has decreased by 61 percent in the last 40 years, but litter remains a costly problem for the environment and our quality of life, the national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful said today.

The group's litter study is the largest ever conducted in the United States and the first major national survey since 1968, Keep America Beautiful said. It included observations of nearly 10,000 people in 130 locations in 10 states and quantitative surveys of roadway litter in 45 metropolitan areas and 180 non-roadway locations.

Among the key findings:

Since 1968, the amount of litter in America has decreased by 61% nationwide, a change attributed to aggressive, long-term public education and cleanup programs.